The things Jesus said that were challenging, difficult and controversial.
BY DERMOT COTTULI
Over the past year in our church we’ve been looking at some of the things that Jesus said that were challenging, difficult and at times, downright controversial. It’s been my hope that we we’d allow the truth of Jesus’ words to bring the change he’s wanting in our lives and more importantly adjust the way we view the world, our place in it and the mission that we’re all a part of.
In the process of sitting with Jesus’ words this year I’ve found that a lot of what I’ve believed about the church and our responsibility to our neighbour has finally started to coalesce into a much clearer understanding of what it is that’s truly important and what God wants for our lives.
In my earlier years as Pastor of Grace I used to quote D L Moody a lot
“Our greatest fear should not be of failure, but of succeeding at something that doesn’t really matter.”
― D.L. Moody
If I was to ask you, what is the most important thing you should be doing in your life, for your here and now and your eternal future, what would you say?
It’s a question that if you’d asked me as recently as last year, I probably would have answered slightly differently to the way I would answer it today.
So what’s changed?
The thing that’s changed for me has been my understanding of what Jesus thinks is important. And that’s become increasingly clear over this last year as we’ve sat in the things that Jesus said.
The key thought here (before I get into where I’ve landed at this point) is that this has been a journey, a process, a growing awareness of Jesus’ truth over many many years which has led me to the realisation that we probably still haven’t arrived yet and hopefully we’ll all grow even closer to Jesus’ heart over how ever many years we have ahead of us.
The New Testament touches on a lot of topics and you can go from topic to topic for the rest of your life without ever fully engaging or understanding what’s most important to Jesus. We can spend time on prayer, on worship, on faith and forgiveness and still be confused when it comes to what it is that Jesus said is an indicator of a life well lived. There are lots of rabbit holes that we can end up going down. I’m not saying those things aren’t important but I do think theres something that’s MOST important.
Now I want to make a clear distinction here between God’s end game and our role during the lead up to it. God’s end game is that we would all be one. (John 17) That He would live with us and that sin and death would be finally dealt with and that those of us who have placed our faith in Jesus would enter into an incredible future hand in hand with Him. What that looks like I don’t know but if He could create this world and the universe around us I think its going to be amazing.
We’re not there yet. We’re in the lead up to it, so the question is how do we cooperate best with Him during this phase of His plan for humanity? How does God want us to live our lives now? This is a time when God is reaching out to the world. As His children how do we best show His heart and intention to those who are living around us?
Figuring it all out becomes even more difficult for us when we take into consideration that the greatest obstacle we all face is ourselves. Our desires and preoccupation with our own personal fulfilment and happiness can blind us to the truth that Jesus said would set us free if we’d only put it into practice.
And as we’ve seen already this year there’s only one solution to that particular dilemma
Luke 9:23-25
Then he said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it. What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit their very self?
Luke 14:33
In the same way, those of you who do not give up everything you have cannot be my disciples.
Why do we have to give up everything? Why do we have to deny ourselves daily if we want to be a disciple?
Because that’s where we need to start if we’re to have any hope of doing what Jesus has commanded us to do.
And the reason it has to start there is that the thing that Jesus is commanding us to do more than anything else, is to love our neighbour as ourselves or as he expands on it in John 15, love each other the same way he has loved us.
Now if you’re worried we’re missing his other command, to love God with everything you’ve got, don’t be. Because Jesus said that if we love him, we’ll obey his command to love others. In fact the proof of your love for God is seen best in the good deeds you do to those around you. Our love for God is what propels us to love others.
John 14:15
“If you love me, keep my commands.
And then John 15:12
My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you.
The apostle John was all over this connection between our love for God and the resultant love that we would have for others.
1 John 4:7-12
Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.
And then later in verse 20 just in case you didn’t get it
20
Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar. For whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen.
If you were to ask me what is the main duty of a follower of Jesus I would say to go around doing good – to do good in the world. Why good? Because doing good to others is a direct outcome and the proof of the love that we have for them.
But what about the salvation of the world? How is that going to happen if all we do is focus on good works?
What did Jesus say about the relationship between our good works and the preaching of the gospel?
Matthew 5:14..
“You are the light of the world. Like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father.
Our good deeds are what point people to the Father.
Not only will they be drawn to the Father, but they will know that we are Jesus’ disciples.
John 13:35
Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.”
The apostle Peter said…
1 Peter 3:15
But make sure that in your hearts you honour Christ as Lord. Always be ready to give an answer to anyone who asks you about the hope you have. Be ready to give the reason for it. But do it gently and with respect.
Once again something is seen in the behaviour of the believer that brings a response from those watching on.
When does the church get into trouble in society?
When we have proclamation without demonstration.When is the church unstoppable in society?
Where we have demonstration that leads to explanation.
The best pattern always starts with demonstration – actions that show God’s love for everyone. Jesus went around doing good and healing everyone oppressed by the devil.
Down through history when has the church spread like wildfire? When it’s starting up hospitals, schools, emergency housing, community welfare ventures. When it’s looking after orphans and widows. When it’s taking in the people that no-one cares about. A church that leads with good deeds in a community can’t be stopped by legislation or persecution. You can’t silence their message by shutting down their services as the Chinese church has shown over the past 50 years.
But a church that leads with proclamation is like a toothless tiger when they can no longer meet unless they’re already doing good in their community.
When Jesus gave the reason for his anointing by the Holy Spirit he said it was to take a message of hope, to the poor, first and foremostly. They were the first ones that he mentioned. And it wasn’t simply that God knows you and sees you and has prepared a place for you in heaven. That’s not the type of news that would constitute good news in most families struggling to put food on the the table.
Jesus came to start up a movement that would tackle the issues of poverty and injustice head-on after his death. In fact he made our efforts in doing so our proof of entry into heaven.
Matthew 25:31-46
“The Son of Man will come in all his glory. All the angels will come with him.
(This isn’t a parable, this is a foretelling of the future)
Then he will sit in glory on his throne. All the nations will be gathered in front of him. He will separate the people into two groups. He will be like a shepherd who separates the sheep from the goats. He will put the sheep to his right and the goats to his left.
“Then the King will speak to those on his right. He will say, ‘My Father has blessed you. Come and take what is yours. It is the kingdom prepared for you since the world was created.
(Can you imagine what that’s going to be like – this is the future reward we’ve been working so hard toward, He then continues and lets them know why they just heard those words)
I was hungry. And you gave me something to eat. I was thirsty. And you gave me something to drink. I was a stranger. And you invited me in. I needed clothes. And you gave them to me. I was sick. And you took care of me. I was in prison. And you came to visit me.’
“Then the people who have done what is right will answer him.
(Just stop here for a moment – this is what my whole message this morning is about – this is why we’ve been sitting in the things that Jesus said for the past year – we want to know what it is that we should be doing with our lives – we want to be found doing what is right by our saviour Jesus when He returns.)
‘Lord,’ they will ask, ‘when did we see you hungry and feed you? When did we see you thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you as a stranger and invite you in? When did we see you needing clothes and give them to you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’
“The King will reply, ‘What I’m about to tell you is true. Anything you did for one of the least important of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’
“Then he will say to those on his left, ‘You are cursed! Go away from me into the fire that burns forever. It has been prepared for the devil and his angels. I was hungry. But you gave me nothing to eat. I was thirsty. But you gave me nothing to drink. I was a stranger. But you did not invite me in. I needed clothes. But you did not give me any. I was sick and in prison. But you did not take care of me.’
“They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty and not help you? When did we see you as a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison and not help you?’
“He will reply, ‘What I’m about to tell you is true. Anything you didn’t do for one of the least important of these, you didn’t do for me.’
“Then they will go away to be punished forever. But those who have done what is right will receive eternal life.”
From my reading of Jesus here, we probably won’t be judged on how much we prayed, worshipped, witnessed or read our bible but we will definitely be judged on our track record with the poor. Let that sink in.
If you’re feeling a little bit disturbed right about now hang with me because it’s not your fault. You might be thinking that’s not what you were taught – you were taught that you needed to witness for Jesus because telling others about Jesus was what made you a good Christian. I understand that. It’s not your fault, it’s the fault of those who were given the job to teach you the things Jesus said.
I’ve been to dozens of conferences and pastor training events over the years and I’m sad to report that I’ve never heard the poor being made a priority in our practice. What I’ve heard over and over again is that God can give you what you want. If you pray hard enough, if you strategise well enough, if you grow your faith big enough. I’ve heard that the sole reason for our existence is the winning of souls into the kingdom, something that we have no control over. The last time I looked everyone on the planet still had free will. I’ve sat in meetings where people have sung and prayed for revival and a deeper personal relationship with Him. I’ve heard people praying for buildings and new LCD screens. I’ve been taught about having greater faith so that I can take up larger offerings to build buildings and have greater influence but not once have I been told that the reason the Holy Spirit has anointed me was so I could go to the poor and lift them up. Now it may have been taught at some stage but I didn’t hear it, because my focus was too much on myself and what was best for me and my success in ministry. But I think that if it was a focus of church leadership then I would have picked up on it before now. Like I said, it may have been there but it was never presented as the main game. It got lost in amongst all of the other things that people wanted to hear.
The truth is, to actually do what Jesus has asked us to do is incredibly tough and extremely taxing at times. It’s not fun and we desperately need the help of the Holy Spirit to see it through to the end. If Jesus needed the anointing of the Holy Spirit to go around doing good as we read in Acts 10, then we definitely need all the help we can get if we’re to follow his example.
If you have a burning desire to see the power of the Holy Spirit at work in the world today then you should prioritise the mission of Jesus and roll your sleeves up and get busy doing good to those around you that the Holy Spirit points out to you. And don’t open your mouth until they ask you for an explanation for your behaviour or the Holy Spirit says now is the time to speak and then keep it short and to the point. Let them taste and see that the Lord is good through the way you treat them.
Guilt should never be the reason you open your mouth. Faulty teaching should not be the reason you open your mouth.
Responding to a question asked because someone is curious about the way you love them wholeheartedly is by far the best reason for opening your mouth. Because you’re coming from a place of substance, a place of proof, you’ve already shown them that God loves them and allowed them to experience what that love is like.
As I mentioned already, following Jesus’ command to love your neighbour as yourself, to go to the poor, the oppressed, the marginalised and forgotten, is hard work and can be very wearing. It’s why Jesus needed the Holy Spirit, it’s why the early church needed the Holy Spirit, it’s why we need the Holy Spirit.
When you’re reaching people through your good deeds who have been wrecked by life and the devil, you need words of wisdom, words of knowledge, gifts of healing and miracles and the discernment of spirits which the Holy Spirit is ready to offer to you as you pursue Jesus’ command to love the people in your world. You need the fruit of the Sprit to handle their pain and heartache. Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. And then your life will be a signpost pointing people to God rather than alienating them from Him.
The mission of every believer is to point the world to Jesus through our actions, through the way we treat them, through our willingness to help the poor, the oppressed, the marginalised and the forgotten. Its always been that way. Its why we have to die to self. Because selfishness and love are like oil and water – they don’t mix.
Now Jesus doesn’t expect us to stay out on the field when we’re running on fumes, he’s also given us permission to come off the field and sit at his feet whenever we need a rest.
Matthew 11:28-30
“Come to me, all you who are tired and are carrying heavy loads. I will give you rest. Become my servants and learn from me. I am gentle and free of pride. You will find rest for your souls. Serving me is easy, and my load is light.”
There are two postures we can adopt as followers of Jesus.
The first is engaging in good works – doing good to those around us and in particular to the poor, the oppressed, the marginalised and the forgotten. That’s the base mission of every believer, every follower of Jesus. And when we do that well, the world sees God. Whether they respond to Him or not isn’t your responsibility – but you need to make sure you’re not being a stumbling block or the excuse they use to ignore Him.
The second is sitting at the feet of Jesus. Both are legitimate responses to the question, “What is it that I’m supposed to be doing?”.
When you’re on top of things, go work hard in the vineyard. When you’re feeling overwhelmed, come sit at his feet.
It’s one of the main reasons we have church services, it’s so we can come sit at his feet and receive the help we need to get back to loving our world. When your heart is grieving because of world events such as the Hamas attack on Israel or the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, come sit at his feet. When our own country is being thrown into turmoil because we can’t get on with each other and look after those who are hurting around us, come sit at his feet. When you’re struggling to hold it all together at home or at work, come sit at his feet. When you’re feeling confused and the things that you were taught in the past are getting turned upside down, come sit at his feet. And he will restore your soul and renew your strength for the battle ahead.
Isaiah 40:31
But those who wait on the Lord
Shall renew their strength;
They shall mount up with wings like eagles,
They shall run and not be weary,
They shall walk and not faint.
